Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-04-16
OUR MARTYR PRESIDENT.
THE REMAINS or ABRAHAM LINCOLN
REMOVED.

Where the Body Has Rested During tho
Past Ten Years-AH the Mystery to the
Matter Now Cleared Away-The Body
Identifed-The Final Resting Place.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, April Is The remains
Of the late President Lincoln and Mrs. Lin
coin were removed, opened and identified
yesterday, and turned over to the Monument
association by the Lincoln Guard of Honor.
On the night of November Z, 1876, Mullen
and Hughes, two Chicago thieves, made an
an unsuccessful attempt to steal the body Of
the late President Lincoln. The marble sar-
cophagus in which it was inclosed, and which
was exposed to the view of visitors through
the iron gra,.ng on the north side of the
monument, was forced open, and the coffin
was taken out, but at this point the robbers
were .i,,terferei with by certain persons Sc
GREETED in the monument, who had received
information that the robbery was to be at
tempted.
Since that time the public mind has been
in state of uncertainty as to the real rest
ing place of the martyrs body, report hav
ing gone Ont that it wos not returned to the
sarcophagus afser the attempted robbery.
All the mystery that has attached to the
matter is now cleared away. 1t appears
that the body was replaced in sarcophagus
and remained thare for about week. The
members of the association however, felt
that it was insecure, and it was subsequently
removed to Il place of greater safety. Fin
ally the Lincoln Guard OF Honor, which is
composed III some OF the best known and
most highly respected citizens of Springfield
was organized and one of the duties of TIL.
ass,3cia8iol las been to sacredy guard tits
body q tn seal president.
X During the month of November, 1873, the
members Of The guard, with their own hattls,
prepared Il vault within the monument for
tue boiy. An excavation was male in the
earth aoJut tA.rty feet south OF the sar
cophaGu; all tle body was safely deposited
il the rein an Eila mouth OF the excavation
closed. Tae atmosphere at the point where
the excavation was made was almost Sitting,
an the To. was prosecuted at different
times during the stiffness Of the night with
no human eye to witness it, save those who
were assisting III the labor Of love. Two
days alter the funeral o. Mrs. Lincoln, in
July, 1882, her body was taken by the guard
ana laid beside that OF her hush md The
Of an oath not to reveal what had been done
until the proper time, and that time has now
arrived
Yesterday both g the bodies were taken
/ by the Lincoln Guard OF Honor in the pres
ence of the Monument association and placed
III new receptacle prepared for them
during the week. This receptacle is III the
earth near where the sarcophagus has so long
stood. 1t has on the bottom twelve inches Of
cement aud has double wal B of brick. The
entrance to it, now that the bodies have been
placed in their final resting place, is cemented
over, and this in time win become as solid as
rock. After this work had been completed
( the bodies we're formally turned over by the
8 uard to the Monument association and ac-
.:epted by it. Before being finally entomhed
the body of Lincoln was exposed and identi-
fed, The hair and beard have fallen off AMI
the face is dfsc0lored, but the contour is still
perfect and the face j, said to strongly re-
sanlbie TIT OF the bronze statue in tile mon
uIlcnt.
The Trial Of the Cowboy Express Robber.
Y UTICA, N. ", April 15.-vAt the examina-
tiop to-day of Chael Roark, the cowboy ex-
press robber, Manager Leake positively iden-
+ titled Roark as his assailaut and related the
story Of the robbery between Clarks Mills
and Utica substantially as heretofore pub
iished Roark entered the car unobserved,
shot Leake, tied and gagged him and rifled
the safe.